Dealers' pencilled marks. Agh!

[Moonraker]

Recently I bought a postcard with a collection of pencilled annotations on the back: price to me, another, older, price - or perhaps what the vendor had bought it for - a dealer's reference number, a topographical reference to the city nearest to the location on the card, and a big arrow pointing to the self-evidently interesting postmark. Tentative efforts using various erasers to remove the marks produced smudges. To add to the problem, the card had an interesting message on it - and I have quite a few cards where the message and/or postmark is far more interesting than the image, so the reverse side shows in my album.

Were I to sell the card on in a few years time it may well have appreciated in value and no doubt a dealer would wish to ask a higher price - requiring yet more pencil marks.

This is very far from the first time that I've encountered such stubborn marks. So

1. plea to dealers - and others - to use a very soft pencil.
2. any recommendations, please, for removing stubborn pencil marks.


Moonraker

[About Postcards]

I share your frustration with this though to be fair most dealers seem to use a soft pencil.

Re getting the marks removed I'd be VERY cautious, practice on a card that doesn't matter. There are no perfect solutions but iIts worth taking a look at the art market. Below are two links that might help. I've sometimes drawn and there's an 'art gum' eraser that works quite well without harming the paper (but leaves masses of residue and has to be used with care). The biggest problem is of course those dealers who use a very hard pencil and manage to enscribe a groove into the card.

Here are the links...

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistry ... eraser.htm

and ..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eraser


Others might have better solutions, I'd be interested to hear more if they have..

Linda

[eastlondonpostcard]

Nothing worse, I agree - why put all those other 'obvious' comments/statements on the back, as you say. I have remarked as such to some dealers and their shrugs of 'oh well' means I won't buy from them any more......... I know, it's a hard task when you really want that card .......... up to you of course

And yes, there are plenty of dealers who don't mess the back at all and the decision to purchase is made easier - but I also know that collectors like to remove the original price and add a coded reference of their own - for the day that wish to sell their item on.

Removing offending marks is no easy task and should be considered with due care - especially for a valued item and where there are bits of the back that you definitely don't want to mess up. Do experiment on lesser valued examples - even make some marks of your own to remove as an experiment.

I have had some margin of success by lightly wetting the area with a soft cloth and using a light rubbing action - this tends to clean as well as bring the indentation out - BUT - do check the type of paper first as softer papers 'roughen' up much quicker. Check the paper doesn't become too porous either - do it several times if need be.

Cleaning marks without a rubber is preferred as it doesn't abraid the surface - an old trick is to use bread which can lift the dirt off without any abrasion. Trial and error.........

Again - it's a high risk as it doesn't work the same every time - good luck.

[davyj]

I'm surprised no one has thought of this idea, a white label stuck on the plastic then all the details, price codes + all other info can be written on.
Then nothing needs to be written on the card at all, the card placed in the plastic with the sticker to the back.
Problem solved.

[Moonraker]

Thanks for the suggestions, I tried some bread on pencilled markings on one card and that did the trick, though I can just about make out where the markings were. (I did think about then leaving the crumbs out for the birds, but wondered about lead poisoning.)

[eastlondonpostcard]

Thanks for the suggestions, I tried some bread on pencilled markings on one card and that did the trick, though I can just about make out where the markings were. (I did think about then leaving the crumbs out for the birds, but wondered about lead poisoning.)

haha! -glad to hear it - next step dampen the area lightly to get rid of the indentations - sure the Birds won't mind!

[eastlondonpostcard]

I'm surprised no one has thought of this idea, a white label stuck on the plastic then all the details, price codes + all other info can be written on.
Then nothing needs to be written on the card at all, the card placed in the plastic with the sticker to the back.
Problem solved.

Note some dealers already do and they seem happy with it - could be the answer -

[kevinramsdale]

I'm surprised no one has thought of this idea, a white label stuck on the plastic then all the details, price codes + all other info can be written on.
Then nothing needs to be written on the card at all, the card placed in the plastic with the sticker to the back.
Problem solved.

For security reasons dealers do like to have the price "tied" to the card, as this prevents the switching of an expensive card into the wallet of a cheaper example.

Additionally the white label will obscure part of the card, leading to the danger of wear and damage as it is repeatedly removed from the sleeve for examination - particularly in the case of postally used cards.

There is also the time element, using white labels would slow down postcard processing.

[Dave43]

Not been here for a while but what's the point of a dealer going thru a loada cards pricing them at say £4 and then selling them for 50p, who are they trying to kid? (but I did sell such a one for £36 on e bay!)